it. Moreover a proper Judgment may then be formed of fuch, as are qualified to receive it, and they may with the greater Propriety be afterwards reminded of their Duty; and exhorted to have their Converfation as becometh the Disciples of fuch a Master.

3. I would advise you to take a Lift of thofe, who conftantly communicate, and endeavour to learn from them what Ideas they have of the Nature and Defign of this Sacrament-and with what Views, Purposes, and Intentions they attend it, that you may fuggeft proper Counsel to them.-Talk fee riously to those who never come to this Ordinance. Inquire into the Reafon of fo grofs a Neglect, and give proper Caution, or Encouragement, as their Circumftances may require. If any have left off to communicate, try to bring them back to a Senfe of their Duty, and to a more steady Practice of it after fuch a Relapse :-But on this, as on every other Occafion, always act with Prudence, and great Mildness of Temper.

HINTS on Singing of Pfalms.

1." SINGING of PSALMS, (fays the late Bishop of London, Dr GIBSON, in his little Tract on Pfalmody) though it belongs "to the whole Body of the Congregation,

will.

"will scarcely be performed in a decent, "and edifying Manner, without fome pre"vious Care and Affiftance on the Mi"nifter's Part. It is a divine and hea"venly Exercise, which the Scripture re"commends to us, as one fpecial Means "of Edification; and (being in its greatest "Perfection, when it is performed by Chrif"tians in a joint Harmony of Heart and "Voice) it has ever been accounted a "ftanding Part of public Devotion, not "only in the Jewish, but in the Chriftian "Church: Where no Care is taken in "this Matter it is plain by Experience, "the Performance will be very indecent, "and indeed fhocking." The Bifhop therefore adds, "I have often wifhed, that 66 every Minifter would take the Trouble "of directing the choice of proper Pfalms, "or rather that He would once for all fix " and establish a Courfe of Pfalms to be "given out, and fung in their Order.".

*

2. As many in a Congregation who can' not read can bear a Part in finging; it would be proper to order that Part of the Pfalm which is given out, to be read aloud Line by Line; for this will fecure a greater Number of Singers, and be an Inftruction' in their Duty, and an Improvement in their Devotion,"

* This has been done by the Bishop of London himself, in a little Tract intitled, the excellent Ufe of Pfalmody, with a Course of Singing Pfalms for half a Year. Price 1d, or 10s. an hundred.

Devotion, to thofe, who can neither read, nor fing. I am forry to fay too little Attention and Regard have been paid to this Part of divine Service, though it is a moft important, delightful, and inftructive Part

of it.

3. "I beg (fays Archbishop SECKER in his fécond Charge to his Clergy)" that you "will encourage all your Parishioners, ef"pecially the Youth, to learn Pfalmody, "and excite them, if there be Need, with " fome little Reward: For thus you will "make the Service of GoD abundantly

more agreeable, and the Attendance on "it more conftant. But then where any "Knowledge of the old common Tunes re"mains, you fhould endeavour principal"ly, that your Learners may perfect them"felves in thefe, that fo they may lead and "affift the rest of the Congregation, who "should always join with them. The bet"ter Judgment of thofe, who have learnt, "may lead the reft, and any little Diffo"nances of particular People will be quite "loft in the general Harmony:-But if

you muft admit a Mixture of new and "uncommon Tunes, it should be no greater, "than you find yourself in Prudence abfo"lutely obliged to do.-Elfe the Confe

quence will be, that either one Part of

your People will refent being unjustly filenc"ed, and this by the Introduction of Tunes "not fo good, as their former ones, and

"fo your Parish will be divided, and un"eafy: Or if they agree to the Change "ever fo generally, and like it ever fo well, 66 yet the felect Singers will either be weary "in a While of what only Novelty recom "mended to them, or grow conceited and ungovernable, or die off, or be difperfed, " and the Congregation will be left unable "to fing in any Manner at all.The early "or primitive Chriftians conftantly joined "to glorify in Pfalms Him, who created "them: This Practice was juftly restored "at the Reformation, and it hath declined "of late very unhappily: For the Improve"ments in finging Pfalms made by a few "in thofe Places where felett Singers fing "in the Gallery, and the whole Audience "is filent, (were they real Improvements) "will feldom equal the Harmony of a ge "neral Chorus-for there is Something in

expreffibly elevating to hear many Voices "making a joyful Noife to the God of their "Salvation, and finging his Praises with Un "derftanding."-So far the Archbishop.It will be proper therefore for you occafionally to fhew the Disadvantage of this excluding Method,

*This unjustifiable Cuftom (of how long ftanding foever it may have been) ought to be laid afide where ever it can be done without caufing great Diffentions, and the Clerk should be directed by the Minifter to fing a proper number of plain, and well-known Tunes, that the Congregation may join with Him.Otherwise the Defign and End of finging Pfalms, is

in

Method, as it must prevent Congregations from joining in this ufeful Part of the Worship; and as the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London, have both so strongly remonftrated against fuch an Exclufion: An Exclufion, which is indefenfible by Argument, how obftinate foever fome felett Singers may be in perfifting in it, in Oppofition to the Minifter himself, as well as to many of their Fellow-Worshippers.

HINTS on a Minifter's own Example.

1. IT is certainly of great Importance, that you should fhew yourself, as the Apostle directs, " in all Things a Pattern

"of

in a great Measure, if not entirely, defeated. It is confidered as an Exercise of Skill in a few for their own, and others Entertainment: But there is no more Religion in it, than in the Sound of a musical Instrument. The Apoftle has injoined us all in general (not a few only of the Congregation)" to fing with "Grace in our Hearts to the LORD," Col.iii. 16. "To"be frequently employed in finging Pfalms, (fays "Dr DODDRIDGE in his Paraphrase of this Text) will "be both pleafant and profitable, provided it be not "merely the Language of the Lip, or the Exer"cife of the Voice, but is likewise attended with the > "Exercise of Grace in the Heart; which it furely "will be, if we rightly confider, that it is addreffed to "the Lord, to whom every Sentiment of the Heart is "known, and to whom nothing can be acceptable, "which is not attended with cordial Devotion."